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State Sen. Rob Cowles says he’ll vote for Kamala. State and local news - we're still in drought conditions. Honor Flight #50 returns Monday.
By Melissa Kaye
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (WFHR, WIRI) – Longtime Republican state senator Robert Cowles says he will cross party lines and vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in the November presidential election.
Cowles, who has represented Green Bay in the Legislature for 42 years, says while he’s concerned about blowback from fellow Republicans, he is concerned about what returning former President Donald Trump to the White House could mean.
Senator Cowles said, “Trump has to be defeated, and we have to protect the Constitution. And the country will go on, even with some liberal things that Harris might do, or might not do,” he said. “You have to have the foundation of the Constitution, to protect democracy. If you don’t have that, we will disappear.”
Cowles said he thinks this decision is an important stand to make. “I really think this is one of the most important things I’ve done,” he said. “Hopefully, people will accept that and listen to me. Those that have trusted me and believed in me will think about that. And if they’re undecided, that we have to make a change here.”
Cowles made this announcement in an episode of the Civic Media show, “Rational Revolution,” hosted by Mark Becker. The full interview will air on Saturday at 2 p.m., but the show can be heard now on podcast platforms, the Civic Media website or social media apps.
The Clark County Forestry and Parks ATV and UTV Trails and the Knobby Ridge Off-Road Motorcycle Trails will close for the season beginning on November 1st. Clark County is planning to re-open the trails for use on December 15th, but that depends on the weather. Remember that UTVs are not allowed on Snowmobile and ATV trails from December 15th through March 31st.
We didn’t get enough rain to reverse the drought. And there have been 82 wildfires across Wisconsin, with 32 of them starting because of improper equipment use. The DNR says things like unsecured trailer chains, lawnmowers, ATVs and UTVs, tractors and more. Now, 77% of Wisconsin is in a drought and 30% has reached severe status. That’s a 10% spike in just 7 days. Wildfires that occur under these conditions can burn for great lengths of time and smolder underground for days, which can be challenging to suppress. Burns are suspended in several counties in elevated areas. Between boats headed to storage for the winter and hunters towing recreational vehicles, be sure to secure dragging parts and trailer chains to avoid creating sparks while driving. Avoid operating vehicles on dry grass. Check tire pressure for exposed rims. Only operate equipment like chainsaws, off-road vehicles and lawnmowers early in the morning or late in the day to avoid sparks at peak burn hours. And avoid all outdoor burning until conditions improve. More rain is expected next week.
Wisconsin has seen the fifth consecutive monthly record for state employment. Nine counties in the state are seeing record low unemployment rates. Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Door, Langlade, Oconto, Pepin, Rock, and Sawyer have unemployment rates as low as 1.9 percent and no higher than 2.7 percent. The Department of Workforce Development announced record-high employment during the month of September across the state. “These record-breaking numbers represent real working families, businesses, and communities across our state”, says Governor Evers. He said the efforts to reduce barriers to work ensures our economy and workforce maintains this positive momentum.
Preliminary employment estimates for September show Wisconsin with a 2.9-percent unemployment rate. This is 1.2 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.1-percent. According to the Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin’s labor force increased by 67-hundred over the month, achieving a record-high number of 3-million-59-thousand-7-hundred employed. This is the fifth straight month of record employment highlighting the unprecedented number of workers participating in Wisconsin’s economy.
Early in-person voting numbers are high with nearly 100-thousand people voting on Tuesday this week. Lines were long at some polling locations where clerks struggled with printing delays. The delays only affected the labels that are affixed to the absentee certificate envelope. The labels are not a requirement for in-person absentee voting, but they add efficiency for hard-working local election officials. The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued a statement Thursday morning after receiving reports from election officials. The WEC said the delays have only affected label printing times. There’s no reason to believe this is affecting other areas of election administration or state government. They also said there is no reason to believe the delays were caused by a cyberattack. If printing delays continue, the WEC advised clerks to handwrite the information instead.
Honor Flight #50 flies out early Monday morning. Roughly 100 veterans and guardians will head to Washington DC to spend the day visiting memorials dedicated to their service. These brave men and women are from central and northern Wisconsin with many from our listening area. If you want to help give these veterans the Welcome Home they never received when they returned from war, you can head to the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee between 8 and 9 PM for their return between 10 and 11 PM. You may want to bring a chair, CWA doesn’t provide them. If you would like to apply to join an Honor Flight, you can visit their website for more information.
Waushara county has some fun for everyone this weekend, with an educational and outdoorsy twist. Wild Rose Fish Hatchery is hosting an Open House on October 26 to Celebrate the fall salmon spawning. The event is free and centers around many popular gamefish species. Join in on games and educational activities for guests of all ages, including a learn-to-cast station, fish identification activities and the chance to “swim” upriver like salmon on their migratory journey to spawning areas. You can also take a self-guided tour of the original 1908 hatchery or join a guided tour of the modern operation. The Wild Rose fish hatchery is a cool and cold-water hatchery that raises steelhead, brown trout, coho and salmon, Great Lakes spotted musky, walleye and lake sturgeon.
The author of the book Tailspin will be at Crossview Church in Wisconsin Rapids on Monday, October 28th. John Armbruster’s book recounts the story of Gene Moran who was a tail gunner in World War II. Moran’s plane was hit and he fell four miles to the ground while in the tail of the plane. Armbruster documented Moran’s bravery as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, surviving solitary confinement, transportation on a hell ship and a 600-mile death march across central Europe. You can meet John Armbruster at Crossview Church on October 28th at 6:30PM and get a signed copy of the book.
